Some days you just need to laugh it all out, and what better way than to sit back and laugh it up with these hilarious shows? We have a mix of the best, from old school classics to shows full of references to new series that joke about anything and everything. With twenty-five of the best comedy anime to choose from, picking what will make you roll on the floor laughing will be easy.

Coming to the number one spot on this list is the long-running anime that is sure to make everyone laugh: Gintama. Whether it's the first season or the number of sequels after that, Gintama has a flair for comedy that just might last for decades.

It's the time of feudal Japan, but something's a little off. Yes, aliens have invaded and have taken away every samurai's means of income. With nowhere to go and no income to finance his Weekly Shounen Jump and candy obsession, talented swordsman Gintoki seeks to earn a living from turning in odd jobs.

As you may have seen on our top shounen list, Gintama is an incredibly strong comedy series that has a joke for almost everyone. Don't be intimidated by the episode count; each episode is pure gold.

Why it made the list: Gintama is one of the few comedy anime that is endlessly funny and doesn't get old. Not only are there referential jokes, the series takes comedy styles from both the east and west, making an anime that can truly make anyone laugh – and that's something downright commendable.

Watch if you like: Long series; samurai; dick jokes; episodic anime; watching the series for the rest of your life; referential humour; aliens; sitcoms.

Sitting on spot number two is an oldie but a goodie: Great Teacher Onizuka. With delinquents, high schools shenanigans and a teacher who doesn't take shit, you know you're in for a good time.

Onizuka is a former bike gang leader, but with time comes change, and he changes roles from goon to teacher. Except not everything about him has been reformed; Onizuka is still all about cute girls and he still knows all the underhanded tricks in the book to get what he wants out of students and teachers alike.

Onizuka and his delinquent class are made for each other, and while Onizuka dishes out deserving punishements that are as funny as they are crazy, in the end he reaches out to everyone to make this a touching anime as well.

Why it made the list: There's no mistaking Great Teacher Onizuka as a classic comedy series. But as much as it revels in comedy and its fish-out-of-water situation, it knows when to get serious for some pretty touching moments.

During talk about the most consistently funny slice of life series, Azumanga Daioh rises up like the classic monolith it is to assert its comedic dominance in jokes worked into natural daily life situations. It flicks other anime to the side with simple jokes that appeal to a wide range of humours without trying too hard.

Azumanga follows the lives of seven girls, three teachers and a few weird cats as they live through their school life in modern Japan. Each episode is self-contained, though is guaranteed to have at least one cat biting, one child genius moment and one empty-headed joke.

What makes the show enjoyable is its not-so-blatant use of nostalgia, easily transporting most people back to their high school days when hanging out with friends was the thing to do. There’s nothing especially amazing about the characters or their setting, which only adds to the comfortable, carefree atmosphere of the show. It wouldn’t be hard to compare Azumanga to Seinfeld or Friends as a show about nothing that is good because of this nothing.

Why it made the list: Azumanga has a careful balance between comedy and slice of life, working in jokes more naturally than other series. It also has a strong nostalgic atmosphere that many other shows lack.

Suicidal comedy isn’t usually at the top of everyone’s to-watch list, but Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei manages to bring comedy to depression and despair through creative animation and humorous parody.

As appropriate for a teacher in absolute despair, Itoshiki Nozomu wishes to kill himself over every little thing. It almost seems natural then that his class is full of emotionally crippled children who need to deal with their own over-the-top problems with the pessimistic advice of a deeply depressed man.

Premise isn’t everything with this anime. There’s nothing dramatic or serious about the show at all unless you surgically removed your funny bone. Every character is on a heightened pedestal of parody and their interactions simply a point of comedy supported strongly by the show’s quirky animation.

Why it made the list: Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei’s unusual and colourful approach to dark humour makes it stand out as an intriguing and funny series. It’s episodic slice of life structure allows the show to parody normal situations and make them unusual.

What’s a comedy series without a bit of fantasy to spice things up? Hataraku Maou-sama takes the concept of working at McDonalds and adds a bit of flavor by staffing it completely with… demons!

We all know Japan is home to all the portals in the known universe, so it should be no surprise that Tokyo is where the Demon King ends up after fleeing from Ente Isla and his evil empire. Now that he’s in a new world where being Satan isn’t a great way to earn money, the Demon King begins working for MgRonalds, making fictional anime McDonalds chains truly Hell on Earth.

Hataraku Maou-sama has this unique comedic aspect that few shows have. Combine that with an unusual fish-out-of-water situation and plenty of time for jokes, and the series hits it off great.

Why it made the list: While there is a bit of action, Hataraku Maou-sama is a non-stop comedy train from start to finish. The show sets things in a generally new place so everything feels new and opens up better chances for jokes. One of the few times you can really enjoy yourself thinking about “MgRonalds”.

Watch if you like: Hell; demons; making a pact; working part-time; WcDonalds and other variants; short series; fantasy; character interaction.

Nozaki-kun is one of the very few comedy anime that stands out as a romcom series that appeals to guys and girls – and respects both audiences. It's also a very recent smash hit for those who like their anime a bit more modern.

Chiyo has a bit of a crush on her classmate Nozaki. It takes all her courage to confess to him, but Nozaki confuses Chiyo for a fan and instead of a reply, hands her an autograph. For Nozaki is a famous shoujo mangaka – an romantic comic artist – who weaves beautiful stories but has never once been in love. Once Chiyo knows this, her resolve is hardened and she sets out to grab Nozaki's attention however she can.

Nozaki-kun is the anime that goes against all expectations you might have. The guys are girly, the girls are guy…y… roles don't really matter and the comedy is respectful of everyone. Everyone is a breed of megadork but is so absolutely lovable that this show's brand of humour will probably suck you in with episode one.

Why it made the list: You don't need to be a genius to see that Nozaki-kun is a different show, but it's a different show that's good at what it does. Its brand of humour is respectful, kind of quirky and exactly what a romcom anime needs. What makes it great is that guys and girls can get into it very easily.

Cromartie High School is a different breed of humour, perhaps a delinquent kind of humour that threatens to punch your guts out but is just a tough guy on the outside.

When regular guy Takashi enrolls in his new school, he finds that the entire school’s population is delinquents – outcasts and bad guys. Thinking that it takes an extra tough person to sit with the bad kids, everyone accepts him. What follows is a hilarious take on tough-guy anime tropes that make all these tough men pretty damn endearing.

Cromartie’s sense of humour is pretty unique but it doesn’t let up once it gets rolling. With each short episode, expectations are defied and the tough legions of manly men in the school quickly become something like friends.

Why it made the list: Cromartie High School is a classic comedy anime and isn’t afraid to make fun of tough guys and the tropes surrounding them. With varied humour that only gets funnier later in the series, it’s great a short comedic break or to marathon and laugh the day away.

Watch if you like: High school; comedy shows; robots; delinquents; short series; long jokes; clever comedy.

Getting into the older anime on this list is Excel Saga, now entering 15 years since it aired. But what isn’t old is its particular brand of over-the-top comedy.

The secret organisation ACROSS wishes to conquer the world, but that’s kind of hard to do with not so many staff. That’s why Excel and her fellow officer Hyatt travel across the world to meet people and be absolutely weird in every possible situation, all to win the affection of ACROSS’ leader. But with Excel’s abundance of energy and Hyatt’s talent for dying, how those two will complete any missions is beyond them.

Excel Saga has a quirkiness to it that combines with its energy to make something pretty special, from how characters constantly die only to be resurrected, to how much the show parodies.

Why it made the list: Excel Saga is bursting with energy and random ideas, making it a pretty random humour show in general. It parodies every genre under the sun and while it does take a look at anime tropes, there’s plenty of more Western jokes to laugh at as well.

Featuring the only mermaid on this list is romcom parody anime Seto no Hanayome, one of the few comedy series that manages to continuously knock it out of the park with what it parodies.

Nagasumi is as average as any other romcom protagonist. But when he almost drowns in the sea on his summer vacation, what he doesn’t expect is to end up marrying a mafia fish. When Nagasumi is saved by a yakuza mermaid, the only way he can save both their lives from a weird law is to ask for the mermaid’s hand in marriage. Now he has to deal with a new bride and keeping her a secret from everyone else.

With a setup that you may have heard before, it’s easy to think Seto no Hanayome is another average anime, but what makes it stand apart is how it executes jokes. Nothing ends up how you think it will and character interaction is the core of the series.

Why it made the list: Seto no Hanayome may have a usual premise, but its jokes and humour are different than anything you might expect. It’s a parody anime above all and hits the comedy mark way more than a lot of other similar shows do.

In contrast to Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou is just Nichijou, the school comedy where things are everything but ordinary. Of course, this show is more cute and weird than gross and awkward, with a lot of Kyoto Animation’s attention to detail.

Yuuko, Mai and Mio are high school friends who have perfectly ordinary lives. Nothing of much note ever happens in their class, especially not with their robotic classmate, deer-wrestling principal, awkward teacher or notorious prankster friend with plenty of wigs to spare.

Nichijou’s jokes and kinds of humour are a complete mixed basket, and that’s exactly why the show is so great. Whether you like slapstick comedy, need something absurd to chuckle at or like a bit of dark humour, Nichijou has it all.

Why it made the list: Nichijou is the all-girl equivalent of Daily Lives of High School Boys but with more random quirky humour than gross or awkward. While everything looks like the show will be another slice of life comedy, Nichijou has its own personality and quirks to make it pretty damn unique.

Watch if you like: Kyoani; Azumanga Daioh; slapstick; a variety of humours; high school settings; deer; famous voice actors; slice of life; standard length series.

On our secret list of “surprisingly funny side-stories to already good anime series” is Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu, the alternate story of how Sousuke awakened to his need for a furry suit.

Sousuke Sagara, a sergeant under the secret organization MITHRIL, is tasked with protecting a Japanese high school girl. The easiest way to do this? Shove that awkward war teen in the same school. Fumoffu follows a side-story to Full Metal Panic and explores what life would be like if this sergeant suddenly dressed up as some kind of bear-mouse.

Fumoffu is the non-serious side-story to Full Metal Panic that you never knew you wanted. While you don’t need to watch the parent series, knowing it just makes everything funnier when this show goes from all-out mecha sci-fi to high school shenanigans.

Why it made the list: Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu is a thoroughly enjoyable side-story to a more serious anime. If you ever wanted to enjoy an alternate setting with your favourite characters, Fumoffu might be the best comedy anime that does that.

Watch if you like: That one mascot from Amagi Brilliant Park; side stories; Kyoani; episodic anime; school setting; slice of life; action; short series.

Filling in our referential humour spot is the anime that has pop anime culture references in the hundreds and still manages to be funny on its own – Lucky Star.

Konata is an all-out otaku contained in the body of a tiny high school girl. While her friends don’t really get her obsession with piercing the heavens with her drill or why no ordinary human will do, Konata drags her group into her unusual interests every day.

Besides praying to Haruhi Suzumiya every episode, Lucky Star has a careful balance of endless references and original humour. It’s the characters that make this series fun and the Spot The Anime is simply a great bonus.

Why it made the list: Lucky Star is the culmination of otaku humour from 2007 or earlier. If there’s a game or anime, Lucky Star references or parodies it and it’s gold from start to finish. Nowhere else will you find a show that throws so many anime jokes together and still comes out with its own brand of humour.

On the silly comedy side of this list is Binbougami ga!, the show about levelling the playing field in luck, relationships and… boobs?

Sakura is an extremely fortunate girl, so fortunate that she sucks the good luck from every single person she meets. Because she upsets the balance of life (or maybe because she’s got those DD cups), the God of Misfortune descends to set things straight. But Sakura isn’t going to go down without a fight and the God of Misfortune… kind of needs a place to live.

Binbougami ga! isn’t completely mindless comedy but it also isn’t super serious. As a short show packed with plenty of laughs, it’s a series you don’t have to think hard about but still has something of a story underneath.

Why it made the list: Binbougami ga! is the kind of short series that you watch for some quick silly fun. While there’s a semi-sad story behind everything, the series has trouble being serious and is best when its joking around and referencing other anime.

Slice of life comedies seem reserved for high school girls because guys are off building muscle to save the world and someone needs to hold all the culture festivals. But not in the case of Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou, where high school boys can be high school boys who also make you laugh like nothing else.

There’s no point summarizing this slice of life comedy show other than it’s about three friends who do stupid shit together, just like everyone else. There are no club activities or romantic plots, just guys hanging out together and letting their imagination take over. Whether it’s fighting bugs or dealing with annoying sisters, the three friends (sometimes joined by their classmates) are keen to enjoy their high school lives to the fullest.

The show isn’t just an amusing look into what could probably be all our normal lives, it also parodies other slice of life shows for extra humour. It’s separated into individual skits so the show is heavier on comedy and doesn’t stray into potentially boring padding.

Why it made the list: Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou is that rare slice of life comedy show that focuses on guys in their everyday life, separating scenes into skits so that things don’t get too boring. On top of being naturally hilarious, the show also parodies other shows of the genre, pointing out the funny aspects of common anime tropes.

Watch if you like: High school life; playing around with your friends; parodies; short series; lots of guys; reaction face humour; manliness.

Kill Me Baby isn't exactly breaking through the production budget, but for a simpler approach to jokes and comedy, it's a welcome low-budget series.

Yasuna and Sonya are high school best friends. But where Yasuna's just a happy idiot, Sonya is a trained assassin who can't take a joke. Together they pass the day with simple activities, though Yasuna's not-so-secret plans to pull one over her friend often have the day end in broken bones.

Kill Me Baby doesn't win any awards when it comes to production values, but the voice cast's enthusiasm makes the series shine. The cast's banter is a joy to listen to and each character brings a voice that adds to the joke, whether it's a playful tone or a silly childish exclamation.

Why it made the list: Kill Me Baby is a simplistic show that hides something truly enjoyable. Its jokes are carried by its strong voice acting cast who make the situations and characters really come to life.

On the more lewd side of comedy is the Dick Jokes Student Council, I mean Seitokai Yakuindomo. Both titles are probably interchangeable.

Ousai Academy used to be a girls-only school, but eventually opened its doors to male students, and you know what that means. Our protagonist, Takatoshi (or Taka), enrolls in this school and becomes one of the very few male students to be subjected to endless dick jokes. For shortly after his first day, he’s shoved into the student council and surrounded by girls who try to make every suggestive joke they can.

This series doesn’t have much in way of story, but that just means you can enjoy the lewd jokes all the more easily. Every character is easy to grasp and doesn’t cause drama, making Seitokai Yakuindomo an anime to just sit back and enjoy.

Why it made the list: Setokai Yakuindomo is the kind of anime that doesn’t get too serious but still gets things right when it comes to comedy. The jokes tend to be “make everything lewd” more than anything else, so know what you’re getting into and enjoy the hell out of it.

Teekyuu is the kind of cheap comedy anime you never knew you needed. If comedy is your thing but you don’t want to invest time in a long series, shots of Teekyuu are your comedy anime savior.

Teekyuu is an anime about tennis but not an anime about tennis at all. Rather, it’s all about how fast four characters can tell jokes in five minutes. Whatever this group of friends can do in the time it takes to order fast food is exactly what they’ll do – whether it’s going to the pool, taking over a restaurant, sinking into the tennis court or eating underwear.

Speeding things up somehow just makes everything funnier in Teekyuu. The only thing missing is the Benny Hill theme.

Why it made the list: Teekyuu has only one speed and one animator but that’s what makes it comedy gold. Listening to voice actors trying to fit endless jokes into five minutes of screentime should be an Olympic sport, and for comedy it wins every time.

Watch if you like: Super short anime; tennis; watching every season in 45 minutes; ADD; quirky humour.

If you ever needed motivation to study, take pity on the kids in Baka and Test, the anime where you can summon Avatars to fight for your rights at school, but if you lose you have to take remedial tests.

In the world of Baka and Test, classes are divided into grade scores, with A students getting all the luxuries they can be afforded and F students getting a classroom/garbage bin kind of deal. One day the series’ resident baka, Akihisa, decides to rally his fellow loser classmates to compete against the A students by… summoning Avatars?!

Baka and Test is the “surprise, it’s fantasy!” comedy of this list, inviting tiny creatures and experiments into an already crazy school environment. But it’s not all fighting all the time and the series keeps its comedy strong.

Why it made the list: Baka and Test is another silly comedy anime, this time mixing in some fantasy and a pretty outrageous school setting. On the surface it looks a bit like a mindless comedy harem anime, but the beyond clueless lead makes the series way more funny than it looks.

D-Frag! makes it to our number nineteen spot as a comedic slice of life comedy series, taking the everyday life of a Game Development Club member and making it downright hilarious.

Kenji is the kind of guy who struts around school like he owns the place but is actually pretty harmless. Even though he thinks of himself as a delinquent and leads the Kazama Gang, he’s no match for the Game Development Club, who club him over the head and drag him into their ranks. Now Kenji and his gang get to be weirdos and delinquents at the same time.

Slice of life comedy hijinks ensue with this series. Just like any other club anime, there’s no real direction with the story, but instead you get quirky jokes from all kinds of directions. D-Frag! has a kind of humour for just about anyone.

Why it made the list: D-Frag! has a hilarious mix of humour only made better by its range of characters and situations. While it seems like another slice of life comedy about school club activities, it constantly knocks it out of the park with jokes in this tragically short series.

Towards the middle of our Top Comedy Anime list is Beelzebub, the show about raising Satan’s son in a school for delinquents.

Tatsumi Oga is a high school delinquent who likes beating people up and could probably beat every other anime delinquent with a glare. It’s these qualities that make him the perfect guy to parent literal hellspawn in the form of a green-haired baby. But while Oga tries to pawn the baby off somewhere, the son of the demon king is here to stay, and so is his maid from Hell. How this kid’s going to grow up in a school for delinquents is anyone’s guess.

Beelzebub doesn’t take itself seriously and its generally self-aware characters make the show have a nice touch of humour. But while the cast is sizeable, comedy comes first, so it’s more something to enjoy for a several day marathon.

Why it made the list: Beelzebub is a fairly recent anime that takes a slightly different look at demons and school delinquents. While there’s enough characters to get into, its real shine is in its crazy situations and weird comedy.

Sitting snuggly between the spaces made by the big comedy names is Tonari no Seki-kun, an imaginative short anime that pulls out all the jokes it can within 7 minutes.

Rumi can’t keep her eyes off the boy in the next seat. And no wonder, Rumi’s classmate is a master of killing time and running elaborate schemes from his very own desk. Seki-kun’s space at the back of the classroom allows him to kill time with flair as he organizes his own postal system, creates a golf course and brings anything he can think of to reality.

Tonari no Seki-kun’s aim is simple: fill as much of the 7 minute running time as it can with absurd situations all on a small classroom desk. It’s endlessly entertaining to see what Seki-kun comes up with next to pass the time.

Why it made the list: Tonari no Seki-kun is simple in every way except execution. It’s clear the series has a huge imagination and flair for small jokes, making the series perfect for quick viewing and fast laughs.

Watch if you like: Imagination; high school setting; short episodes; small cast of characters; gag comedy; a quick laugh.

22

School Rumble

Next on our list is romcom great School Rumble, the comedy-heavy anime that can appeal to guys and girls, and maybe even some clueless people.

Tenma is a girl who isn’t all there, but what is there is her love for her eccentric classmate Ouji. At the same time, the tough guy who looks like a delinquent also likes Tenma and tries to change his ways for her. But this is a comedy love triangle anime and nothing goes to plan for anyone.

While you might think the series dives into a dramafest (or goes the suddenly violent delinquent route?), it’s comedy all the way with School Rumble. Sometimes it’s a bit sad to see everything as jokes all the time though, given there’s first loves at play behind it all.

Why it made the list: School Rumble is a romcom that’s heavier on the com than the rom. It’s an enjoyable series for how everyone interacts and how the jokes are set up, but don’t go into it thinking there will be a romantic ending.

Next on our Top Comedy Anime list is the anime to watch if you were a huge fan of Lucky Star’s first episode: gdgd Fairies (“gudaguda”)! It also doubles as a dose of bad CG if you’re into that.

Pkpk, Shrshr and Krkr are fairies that live in a terrible CG world filled with awkward models of old men and large women. While they spend most of their days setting up puns and arguing over trivial things, they also think up crazy exercises and then break character to do voice acting jokes for short clips.

Despite how it looks, gdgd Fairies has a very specific kind of humour that can be hit or miss depending on how much you like crazy Japan. There’s no plot or message, just all-out jokes that border on really weird every episode.

Why it made the list: gdgd Fairies might be low budget, but where there’s a lack of visual quality, there’s a strange quirkiness to its humour. Whether you get caught up in its specific brand of humour or whether you genuinely enjoy when the voice actors make up jokes, this series is something to watch when you can’t think of any other comedy anime.

Hiroshi Inaba is a half-wolf, half-human detective with one hell of a hair fetish. When he isn’t sniffing some of his favourites, he’s eating hair he finds to learn its story and solve crimes. His talent is exactly what the country needs when money-hungry goat Don Valentino announces his plans to suck up every bill in sight while replacing it with fake money. But while he’s on the chase, Inaba finds there’s a lot more mysteries to solve.

Throw out any notions of mystery you have; Cuticle Detective Inaba is about as ridiculous as it sounds. But with side-stories and twists that leave you laughing, it’s a good show to get into for some mindless comedy.

Why it made the list: Cuticle Detective Inaba is the kind of show you hop into for the premise and end up staying for the comedy. Nothing works out how you think it will in this series but it always sticks to being a comedy anime about the crazy adventures of a hair-munching dogman.

Our longest-running comedy anime on this list is also the weirdest to pin down. While Crayon Shin-chan is ideally for kids, its mix of adult humour and charm make it stand out as something that can be enjoyed by quite a few people.

Five-year-old Shinnosuke (Shin) is probably most known as the weirdly drawn kid on the internet who draws elephant ears on his penis and does the “elephant dance”. But outside of that, he’s an average kid who could be kind of weird and not good with words or completely perverse, depending on your dub of choice.

Shin-chan isn’t all ass and dick jokes but a good mix of accessible comedy and some nice family moments. If you’re looking for a comedy anime that isn’t the usual fare, Crayon Shin-chan is there.

Why it made the list: Crayon Shin-chan is a cute comedy show with some touching points, or a completely lewd jokefest – it depends if you go with subtitles or watch Adult Swim’s take on the show. Either way, it’s great as a comedy anime and something different than the usual comedy series.